Division of brain by lobes

Usually on books we see the brain divided into halves, they are two hemispheres, the right and left, each hemisphere consists of two indivisible structures: cerebral cortex and white matter. The first consists of the body and the thin extensions of neurons (main cells of the nervous system) and the second by thick extensions or axons, and none of these elements can operate in an isolated manner. The surface of each cerebral hemisphere forms folds that are separated by a deep space the online media in whose depth is the Corpus Callosum that connects both hemispheres.

In order to facilitate the description of the brain, it’s usual to divide each hemisphere into lobes which are named according to the name of the cranial bones under which are located and thus have the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes. There are processes attributed to each of the lobes, however, it is known that the brain works jointly.

This division is somewhat arbitrary between back and front because the term can be ambiguous, for example, if we talk about prefrontal cortex, is the anterior cingulate prefrontal? so this division should be used only as a scheme and not like real division.

The frontal lobe is located in the most anterior part of the brain. Hence all the muscles of the body are represented and its role is to design individual movements of each; it also stores programs of motor activity gathered as a result of past experience.

It is said to cause the formation of words is related to the formation of the personality of the individual, said regulating the depth of feelings, and is associated with the determination of the initiative and the judgment of the individual; It regulates the sense of anticipation of the future and is the center of anxiety.

Moreover, also allows the relationship between vision and the human bipedal position and appears to be functionally linked with more cognitive processes that emotional such as introspection and the coordination of stimulus-driven thinking and independent thinking.

Another division is given by the parietal lobe, which is located on the lateral surface of the brain, near the crown, back and above the central fissure. Its main function is to receive and integrate different sensory modalities.

One of the multiple tasks processed by this lobe is the recognition objects placed in the hands without the help of the view, even manages information about the shape and size of objects relating to past experiences; It also allow the ability to read and design maps, since it allows orientation in three-dimensional space and the ability to use symbols, so also has a part in the development of the language, an injury to this area produces alexia, known by  the difficulty to decipher the writing and lesions in this lobe are causing greater impairment, intellectual and of everyday life.

Meanwhile, the occipital lobe, is located in the posterior part of the brain, at the height of the Crown, its function is to relate the visual information received by the primary visual area with past Visual experiences, allowing you to recognize and appreciate what is being.

In the occipital lobe is where the world is actually displayed. Lesions in this area undermine the visual capacity; in some cases patients perceive only visual field side, reporting black spots on the lateral fields. If the lesion is not very big, you can report only points or spots which move along with the movements of the eyes.

To conclude with this brain division include the temporal lobe, which is also located on the sides of the brain. In this area at the same time are auditory areas that relate to the reception and interpretation of sounds, as well as the sensitive area of the language known as Wernicke's area, which allows the compression of speech writing, i.e., complete the process of reading of a phrase, understand it and read it aloud, in this sense the chain of events has the task of connecting with the Visual auditory stimuli.

Lesions in this area can result in various difficulties for the written expression, even when the language ability is not affected, because sometimes the individuals have the ability to write but not read, while sometimes they can distinguish numbers but not the letters, either naming the objects but not the colors; also can be affected the ability to recognize faces, even of the people closer, even if a person is able to recognize animals or inanimate objects. This shows the division of brain tasks and the complexity of their integration.

Even though there are no differences in brain architecture of men and women, there are slight differences in the volume of these. In this sense, even though the males possess brains with greater volume, proportions of the major lobes relationships are similar.

In both sexes, the frontal lobe is approximately 38% of the hemispheres (with a variation between 36 and 43%); the temporal lobe, the 22% (ranging between 19 and 24%); the parietal lobe, 25% (with an oscillation between 21 and 28%), and the occipital lobe, 9% (with an oscillation between 7% and 12%). These differences, although subtle will have some impact in learning processes, since they show a trend, which is by no means determinant, that men have better ability visuospatial and women better verbal ability.

Although the brain is a cluster of processes that seem chaotic, actually separate studies have shown that there is a certain order, although still not known at all.

Original

Aunque el cerebro es un cúmulo de procesos que parecen caóticos, en realidad los estudios separados han mostrado que existe un cierto orden, aunque aún no se conocen del todo.

References

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 Sherman, C. (2013) Right brain-left brain a primer. The Dana Foundation. Available at: http://www.dana.org/media/detail.aspx?id=40274

Program of environmental neuromodulation for the treatment of developmental disorders

The developmental disorders, in any of its facets and diagnoses, such as autism spectrum disorders, Deficit attention disorder with or without hyperactivity, pervasive developmental disorders, generalized language disorders, or development disorders No defined, impact on learning and the way in which children attend to stimuli from the environment.

Usually specialized care programs focus on achieving as much as possible behaviors of self-care in the best of the cases and even sometimes parents receive the comments there is a little to do for their children because they are not able to learn.

Although the subject of learning has been widely studied from different perspectives, and in recent years thanks to technological progress, it has been part of several studies with artificial neural networks, which have a point of gear with the evolution of complex systems. The development of these enabled to understand how nature has provided systems with the ability to adapt to the environment that is the line that allows the survival of the species, which can be key to work with children with developmental disorders, because allows to understand development as a flexible system.

This is nurtured by other studies such as the plasticity and applications of these principles whereas since the beginnings of neurogenesis that are in the early stages of understanding, to idea of the connectome and proteome that allow to understand the modeling environment achieved on cognitive systems.

So the work with children with developmental disorders opens a door to explore possibilities for psych educational treatment, leaving behind the myth that "some children will never be able to learn".

Breaking myths

The widespread belief that a complex nervous system is required to make possible adaptation to the environment either a change that triggers a new reaction in an organism has been left behind and has begun to recognize that chemical networks can evolve in simple systems that allow analyzing the ability to operate routine by a body. Examples of this are the studies on chemical samples created in silico or maybe  the study of prions, which have opened the door to understanding the mechanisms of adaptation and learning at the protein level.

They are a physiological lesson and this is simple: adaptation to the environment is not a mechanism created from a flexible brain learning, but a created evolutionary inheritance so that species develop and survive because that possibly this same adaptive response was inherited giving rise to other processes more complex as neural networks that are currently studied as a whole with the name of connectome.

The connectome is a map of the neural connections, and which seeks to describe the brain structure, as well as the genome is more than just a juxtaposition of genes, the set of neural connections is much more than the sum of its individual components.

The connectome contains millions of times more connections than the letters of the genome, but also every who is creating specific connections from interactions with the environment, so Sebastian Seung explains that everyone is our connectome, which is formed based on 4 principles: reweighting which means changes in the strength of the synapses; reconnection , which is the creation and elimination of synapses; rewired which is the creation and elimination of neuronal branches and feedback which is the creation and elimination of neurons.

To this you have join the thousands of years of evolution in which these processes are developing, because as explains Dehaene (2011) the brain represents the response of the slow evolution of species governed by the principle of the same natural selection that has been perfected over the years optimizing brain the way it handles the huge flow of sensory information received to suit the reactions of the organism to a competitive and sometimes hostile environment.

This adaptation to the environment is the key to the survival of the species; however, there are still changes that gestate from the available elements. 

In a world made for man, wirings and neural functions would surely be regulated by processes in perfect order and functionality from desirable patterns, but nature is still experimenting with that has resources. 

In this sense the natural systems continue to experience and making adaptations in search of improvements, one of the first attempts to explain this on a large scale was the so-called Baldwin effect, also known as the ontogenic evolution which is a theory of the probable evolutionary process of learning, which was published by first time in 1896. The theory proposes a mechanism for learning ability in general, selected descendants of a group, can have greater capacity to learn new skills rather than simply the abilities granted by the genetic code which is relatively rigid.

However, I must say the ontogenetic evolution theory has received diverse criticisms, in part because it is very difficult to monitor environmental changes in the superior species. But I prefer to see the biological entities from a different perspective, so under the assumption that the brain can adapt and learn from past experience, as the specific evolution not only inherited behavior but that adds goals inherited which are used to guide the learning under the orders of a genetic code that has two components in the species. 

In this respect is that the evolution of neural networks contains information not only in genetic terms, but also a collection of behaviors developed by the ancestors can be understood as the culture.

It is then that culture has a major role since the adaptations in the environment are not always determined by closed code and therefore cannot be stronger than those set by the selection (including changes in the social environment). 

This idea has generated several lines of research, and one of them is precisely the assisted environmental neuromodulation.

The process of Neuromodulation

The process of neuromodulation is not new, arises from the observation that different kinds of neurotransmitters in the nervous system regulate different groups of neurons. In contrast to direct synaptic transmission in which a process is required pre synaptic and other synaptic, the neuromodulatory transmitters secreted by a small group of neurons diffuse through large areas of the nervous system. Some neuromodulators are dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, histamine, and others.

Neuromodulators are segregated in a natural way as a response to environmental contexts or it can be applied in specific way that is the line that the neuromodulation has developed mostly. 

However this article seeks to focus on the implementation of contextual programs for the acquisition of simple learning from environmental interactions for the treatment on the developmental disorders, unless they require implants or clinical procedures.

How does it work?, breaking environmental habits, creating personal habits

Unlike assisted therapies, for example behavioral or cognitive-behavioral, neuromodulation process applies in the environments in which the child is integrated; this is your home, school, or anywhere where you are visiting.

The first analysis of the context consists of the family habits, which are often laden with frustration and disorder. The process begin redrawingenvironments and creating systems of habits in which all members of the family can feel good.

Once it is designed the set of habits explores what however is able to do as opposed to traditional therapies that focus on the disability, this model seeks to observe the cognitive framework that will allow the creation of new tasks and processes.

Sensory processes

Parents or caregivers take care of a program designed exclusively for each child that has as its goal the shaping of specific tasks required within the environment, for example, it is common to find delays in the acquisition of speech, but understanding of language in children, partly because parents, noting the delay in the development, won't stimulate the children become translatorsof children by what is taught to parents to encourage the child, starting with simple words.

One of the first words that develops easily is water, provided to the person in charge whenever the child is facing the stimulus say water, and occurs during diverse occasions and contexts during the day, for example when children are washing their  hands, to drinking it, at the time of daily hygiene, at the beginning only says the word slowly without having to finish the child repeat it nor whether this puts all his attention to the stimulus, the goal is that is heard in the context of the word.

Soon, children begin to either try to use the word or you are able to use it properly. If the goal is achieved, then begins with adjectives like water cold, hot, delicious, fresh.

One of the mistakes is that I forced children to perform tasks that the adult may be simple, but that for a nervous system that does not yet integrate stimuli becomes extremely complex, therefore it modulates the task, dividing it into subtasks on the assumption of sensory integration planned. 

Returning the example of water, this concept is a succession of 3 sounds arranged in a certain way, it is an object, form, texture and temperature, by what is heard, looks, feels, so for the apprehension of the same, is first exposed to the small to the sound, then to the view and then to the touch, so provided the sensory system is able to recognize this differently and if any area of the brain is affected, it is possible to acquire it by any other sensory input.

So the division of tasks is important for understanding and consolidation of stimuli, which are located in the immediate environment and allow actor learned, because it is common that therapies clinic learn concepts that are not able to reproduce in other environments.

In this case it is possible to use different objects that approach clearly and relaxed the child into the world that surrounds him.

What is different about this model? 

This way to work with children begin with the  assumption that all brains, no matter the degree of physio-anatomic damage are able to learn under the right conditions, and controlled, leaving you free to explore modeling.

There is no right or wrong answers, if the child is not able to accomplish the task, it doesn't matter, because it will longer be able to do it tomorrow, since there are ideal, every child is unique.

The child adapts to the environment and not the environment to the child. When it is taught to adapt to the environment, there is less tension, frustration and calm allows much more than the traditional behavioral therapies.

Attention is molded in minimum time, beginning with 5 seconds, 6 seconds, and 7 seconds and on, do not force the child to keep the attention for long periods it is known that this does not always work and is frustrating. This way  attention is sustained and effective without forcing the sensations.

The guidance of the therapist is important because along with weekly reports are allowed to build the program to follow, because this is not a rigid model, but a flexible framework that allows learning modeling and accompanied. The goals  are short, medium, and long term. There are no magic formulas, only motivation to prevent cognitive Kickback.

No scolding, no punishments, children and parents learn to appreciate the achievements by small that are and is constructed with a solid base of learning, from habits that give confidence to the child, as the center of this therapeutic modality is the idea that if you are able to learn, from a natural endowment which looks for the survival of the species.

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Cerebral protection

 The brain has several barriers of protection against accidents and illnesses; firstly it has the skull, but also a liquid that serves as buffer against blows and biological barrier, and the meninges to protect against infections.

  The skull is a bone, which is a structure not expandable in the adult, covered by leather scalp and formed by the combination of 8 juxtaposed bones, 2 pairs (temporal and parietal), and odd 4 (frontal, sphenoid, ethmoid and occipital), forming a box of bone to ensuring the protection of the brain and their shells.

The skull has two distinct regions: the dome and the base. The first consists of the frontal, occipital, and parietal bones together by sutures (coronal, sagittal and lambdoid) and presented two solid bone layers, the outer and inner separated by a spongy tissue called the diploe.

During the first year of life, due to the presence of the fontanels and the non-consolidation of the sutures may be an increased the brain product of an increase in intracranial pressure.

Around 18 months of life, the anterior fontanel is closed and skull begins to be a little distensible rigid box. The frontal bones, ethmoid, sphenoid, temporal and occipital, form the base of the skull and it is crossed by numerous holes where they exit nerves and veins and where it penetrates the nutrient arteries of the brain. The dome and the base limit the cavity endocranial containing the brain itself .

Other means of protection is the cerebrospinal fluid, this occupies 20% of the volume of the cranial vault, and is a liquid that flows into the central nervous system including the spinal cord. The average volume in children is 90 ml, with a production of 0.35 ml per minute. In situations of increased pressure endocranial this fluid is responsible for maintain intracranial pressure within normal limits by moving its volume to reserve spaces.

The following protective barriers are the meninges that are 3 membranes surrounding the central nervous system. From the outermost to the innermost are: dura mater, arachnoid, and Pia mater. The dura mater is also known as paquimeninge and the two together are called also leptomeningess.

The dura mater is the wrapper more external of the brain, composed of fibrous, solid and thick fabric, usually attached to the inner table of the bone forming independent magazines that protect the brain from mass displacement during shocks or sudden deceleration situations.

Another barrier is known as arachnoid: is a transparent and avascular membrane that covers the brain going as a bridge between the grooves and convolutions. There is a space where the cerebrospinal fluid circulates between the brain and the arachnoid. 

Finally, the pia mater is very tenuous and highly vascularized membrane attached closely to the cerebral cortex followed up in its most minimal crease.

While all these means of protection were developed to take care of the structures of the brain, there are situations for which it was not designed, for example, evolutionarily brain was not designed for the deceleration that occurs when a car brakes sharply, which creates a movement that sends the head first was forward and then backward, causing the brain to bounce on the walls of the skull which is lethal because it can break the connection between the spinal cord and the brain structures, before this, it is essential, in the absence of other form of care, the use of the safety belt when you are in a car that you can stop at any moment after high speed.

References:


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